Medium
by Cassie Bones
Summary: Richard Castle has a special ability and it is both a blessing and a curse. He's learned to deal with his gift for talking to the dead and has even used it to his advantage, professionally. But what happens when the long-since-deceased Johanna Beckett floats into his life and asks for his help with her daughter? Will this gift be enough to save her? Castle Halloween Bash 2016 Entry
1. Chapter 1

**Medium**

Richard Rodgers had a gift. At least that's what his mother had told him one night, when he was five years old and cowering under his Batman bedsheets because he'd seen a ghastly white man sitting in their kitchen, drinking from one of his mother's coveted whiskey glasses. That, itself, wouldn't have been so unusual if it weren't for the fact that Ricky had been able to see his mother's distorted form on the other side, as if the man was some kind of fogged up window.

Rick had dropped the glass he was on his way to refill with water, let out a shrill scream, and sprinted right back to his bedroom, where he buried himself under the covers until his mother came to check on him.

"Richard?" Martha Rodgers had called out, knocking delicately at his bedroom door. "Darling, are you alright?" She entered to find her young son staring at her, wide-eyed, fear all over his face.

"Gh-gh-ghost!" Ricky whimpered. "That was a _ghost_!"

Martha sighed in relief and gave her boy a soft smile. "Yes," she said. "It was. That was Mr. Edwards. He used to live here."

"Really?" Ricky asked, coming out of his shell a little. "Did…did he die here, too?"

Martha sighed. "I'm afraid so," she said. "Poor Mr. Edwards had a heart attack. His wife moved away to New Jersey and he's just waiting on her to cross with him."

"Cross where?" Ricky asked, pushing the blanket off of his head. His hair stood straight up.

"To the other side," Martha explained. "Where we'll all go. Someday."

"Why isn't Mr. Edwards there already?"

"Because I need my wife to go with me."

Ricky startled as the ghastly Mr. Edwards appeared next to his bed. His mother's whiskey glass was no longer in his fist.

"But why?" Ricky asked, no longer afraid of the ghost.

Mr. Edwards gave Ricky a soft, amused grin. "One day, young man," he said as he began to fade. "One day you'll understand." Then he was gone, leaving Ricky with far more questions than answers.

After that night, he began to see ghosts all over. As he walked to school with his mother, there were spirits hanging out at various small shops or sitting on park benches, next to very alive and well New York citizens. Most of the ghosts Ricky saw were elderly, benevolent souls, watching over their descendants and loved ones.

But some were Ricky's age. And some were even younger than him.

Ricky hated those kinds of spirits. The children who had lost their lives far too young and didn't have anybody to guide them over to the other side. They walked around parks aimlessly, stood in front of hospitals, wailing and afraid. Sometimes, Ricky would try to stop his mother and reach out to them, but Martha just pulled him along.

"There's nothing you can do for them, dear," she would say, consolingly, holding his hand a bit tighter than necessary.

Often, Ricky wondered why he and Martha were the only ones that could see ghosts. What made them so special? Were they really gifted or was this some kind of curse? Because, sometimes, when he lay awake at night, listening to the late Mrs. Johnston from two doors down, wailing about a life wasted, he wondered how he could be so unlucky.

Then, some days, he felt as if he was chosen specifically to fill some kind of purpose.

One of those days came when he was in his early thirties, nearly three decades after discovering his "gift", after a name change, two marriages, two divorces, and the birth of his first and only daughter. Alexis could see ghosts as well, but the nine-year-old saw them more as friends to play with than the nuisances Rick used to know them as. He would often walk out of his office, after writing for a few hours, and see her sitting at the kitchen table, sharing milk and cookies with phantoms as they told her stories of their past lives.

One such day, Rick saw a woman with his daughter. She didn't look particularly elderly or sick, like many of the souls that came to visit. Instead, she was relatively young (maybe forty?) and had a smile that told him she'd definitely been a mother or some kid of caretaker when she was alive. Her voice was soft and sweet as she spoke to Alexis. Her movements were fluid as she poured more milk. Clearly, she'd been gone a while, as new spirits often didn't have such control over physical, real-world objects. It was a learned and adapted skill that grew over time.

"Hello?" Castle greeted, stepping into the room. Both Alexis and the woman turned to him and he was startled by the enchanting green of her eyes. "Can I help you?" Usually, when a ghost visited him, they were there to ask him to pass on a message. He'd become just as famous in the spirit world as he was in the world of the living.

"Yes," the woman said, standing up. She hovered a bit before her feet planted firmly on the ground. Obviously she still was not used to that particular ability. "My name is Johanna Beckett," she said. "I've come to ask a favor."

Castle furrowed his brow. "What kind of favor?" he asked. "Do you need me to say goodbye to a loved one for you? Or tell them where to find your will? Just tell me their name and I'll make the call."

"Well, you're half right," Johanna sighed. "There is somebody I'd like you to contact for me, but it's not to say goodbye. Not exactly."

"What do you need?" Castle asked, calmly.

"I need you to help her solve my murder."

"Help whom?"

"My daughter," Johanna informed him; "Katherine Beckett."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Captain Katherine Beckett had never been what you might call a believer. At just three years old, she had figured out for herself that Santa Claus didn't exist (though she'd let her parents believe that she awaited his arrival every Christmas Eve until she was nine). She never believed in the tooth fairy or the Easter Bunny and magic was just a thing that happened on stage, full of smoke and mirrors, and cards kept up sleeves.

In high school, her dates would bring her to horror movies in an attempt to scare her—like they did with all the other girls—and in the hopes that she would cuddle up to them for comfort. However, it was always _them_ that squealed like banshees and pressed their faces into her shoulders as Kate sipped her soda and shoved giant handfuls of popcorn into her mouth.

She wasn't afraid of any ghosts.

Still, Kate Beckett had a certain fondness for the horror and supernatural genre. Her favorite authors were King and Poe and, in recent years, Richard Castle. Castle's books were about mediums who could talk to ghosts and help them solve their own murders or help them stop huge conspiracies that they'd been a casualty of. The plots were far-fetched, to say the least, and more than just a little ridiculous to think about, but Kate found herself eating them up, one after another, and wishing that she possessed many of the abilities that the protagonists in the novels did. Especially after the suspicious death of her mother, Johanna.

Johanna Beckett had been a lawyer, just as Kate's father had been. Their practices were different—Johanna being a civil rights lawyer and Jim more into business law—but they would often trade shop talk over dinner like they were talking about the weather. Kate would listen to her mother's cases and dream about one day joining her at her practice, digging for truth and justice. Perhaps, she used to think, she would rise a little bit higher and join the Supreme Court. That was the dream.

But, just like magic, dreams were often proven false and disappointing for Kate.

Johanna Beckett was found in an alley on January 9, 1999, stabbed to death and bled out on a pile of trash. Nothing was missing from her wallet and her wedding ring was still planted firmly on her finger, so they attributed it to gang violence and put the case to rest. The lead detective wouldn't even listen to Kate's foul play claims. There was nothing she could do but mourn the loss of the woman who'd once inspired her.

She was only 19 years old.

After Johanna's death, Kate changed both her major and the school she was attending, stepping away from Pre-Law at Stanford in favor of Criminal Justice at NYU. When she finished her undergrad, she went straight to the Police Academy and worked her ass off, becoming one of the star pupils in her class. After that, she joined the NYPD and quickly rose through the ranks.

Thirteen short years later and she was the captain of the Twelfth Precinct, located in Midtown Manhattan. The captain that had preceded her, Roy Montgomery, had encouraged her to take the Captain's exam before she'd even made lieutenant and she'd passed with flying colors. At just over thirty years old, Kate Beckett became the youngest female NYPD captain.

Her mother would be very proud—or so she liked to think.

A picture of Johanna and Jim Beckett sat on Kate's desk, right next to her computer. Both of her parents were smiling up at her from the frame, happy and bright-eyed, not a care in the world. The captain often found herself looking down at the photo, her heart heavy and a lump in her throat as she thought about where her parents would be if her mother's life had not been so violently taken from her; if her father had not found comfort in the bottom of a whiskey bottle…

"Captain?"

Kate tore her gaze away from the picture frame and turned to look up at her detective's face as he peered into the office. "Yes, Ryan?" she asked, straightening her back a little. Ryan had been on her team when she was a detective; both him and Javier Esposito had been 'her boys' and they'd all teased each other and made jokes and had gone out for drinks many a night after work, but thing had been…different. Since becoming captain, Kate could feel a rift building and widening between her and her detectives. She didn't like it.

"There's someone here to see you," Ryan informed her. "Says he has some important information for you. Also, he has a kid."

"A kid?" Beckett asked, furrowing her brow. She didn't know anybody with a kid.

"Yeah," Ryan affirmed. "Espo and I can watch her while you guys talk, though; she already has LT wrapped around her little finger." He smiled softly and Kate suddenly remembered that Ryan was a new father.

"She as cute as Sarah Grace?" Kate asked, after wracking her brain for half a second for her goddaughter's name (and making a note to buy the kid a gift very, very soon).

"Not quite," Ryan snorted. "But she's a close second, I gotta say."

Kate chuckled. "Go ahead and send him in," she said. "Oh, wait!" Before Ryan could leave, she stood, looking at him. "What's this guy's name?"

"Richard Castle," Ryan said. "I think he's, like, a writer or something." He shrugged and continued out the door, leaving Kate standing there, wide-eyed.

 _Richard Castle is here_. _Richard. Castle. Is here._

 _WHY IS RICHARD CASTLE HERE?_

"Captain Beckett?"

Kate practically jumped out of her skin as the man himself poked his head into her office, looking all kinds of apprehensive as he stepped inside. She wondered how that could be possible when all she'd ever seen of the man was his cocky, charming grin and strut on Page Six. She fought hard to breathe and keep her cool as she cleared her throat and folded her hands in front of her.

"Yes, Mr. Castle?" she replied. "How can I help you?"

"Well," Castle coughed, stepping into the office and shutting the door behind him. Kate could swear she heard him mutter something under his breath before he continued: "I'm actually here to help you."

"Help me?" Kate asked, motioning for him to take his seat as she took her own behind her desk. Castle sat down and turned his head to the open space next to him, furrowing his brows almost angrily, before he turned back to her with the fakest smile Kate had ever seen. Kate glanced at the empty space, then back to him. "With what, Mr. Castle?"

"Um…well…I'm not sure how to say this…" He rubbed the back of his neck with his right hand and pressed his lips together, looking nervous. "I'm more than certain you won't believe me."

"Does it pertain to one of my cases?" Kate asked, leaning forward. Castle shook her head. "Okay…on a scale of 1 to 10, how important is it, really?"

"I'd say about 47," Castle replied. At her raised eyebrow he shrugged. "It's _very_ important."

"Then just say it," Kate insisted. "I don't have all day."

Still looking uneasy, Castle turned to the empty space next to him once more, before sighing and turning back to Kate, who was eyeing him like he was insane (which he very well could have been).

"It's about your mother," Castle finally said and Kate felt every nerve in her body turn to ice as her eyes widened.

"What about her?" she asked, her voice little more than a whisper. Castle pressed his lips together again, apprehensively. Kate narrowed her eyes at him and leaned further in. " _What_ about my mother, Mr. Castle?" she demanded.

Castle took a deep breath and simply said, "She's here."


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry this is coming so late. I am a freelancer, so I've been busy with a couple of orders. This should be short and hopefully will be finished by Halloween. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter Three**

 _What about my mother?_

 _She's here._

"You're not as eloquent as I thought you were," the elder (deceased) Beckett told him, eyeing her daughter with shining eyes. It was as if _she_ were the one seeing a ghost. "I can't believe how much she's changed. How grown she is."

"Haven't you seen her since your…you know?" Castle asked her in a too-loud whisper.

"We don't typically hang around when we're not seen," Johanna explained. "And I couldn't bring myself to watch her go on with her life without me there, without any way to communicate with her. So I—"

"Who are you talking to?" Both Castle and Johanna Beckett turned to Kate with wide eyes. She was staring at him, white as a sheet, her own green eyes wide and slightly disturbed. She glanced straight at Johanna, her eyes lingering on her for a long moment, before returning to Castle; it was obvious that she couldn't see the ghost of her own mother.

"Your…Johanna Beckett," Castle told her. "She's sitting right next to me."

"That's impossible," Kate said, but her voice was soft as her gaze flitted back to the chair beside him then back. "My mother is dead. She died over a decade ago." She took a deep breath and schooled her features into something that looked akin to stone. "And that chair is completely empty."

"To you," Castle rebutted. "But I…I can see her. Your mother has long dark hair and green eyes and she's wearing a skirt and blouse and a suit jacket. She has a tie—"

"Kerchief," Johanna corrected, her gaze never leaving her daughter.

"Kerchief," Castle echoed. "And her eyes are green, just like yours, but yours are a little lighter than hers are. But your cheekbones are practically identical, I've gotta say."

"Mr. Castle, focus," Johanna hissed, attempting to nudge him, but her elbow just went right through his ribcage, sending a chill up his spine that made him jump in his seat.

"And I _assume_ she had sharp elbows when she was alive," Castle added on a huff, shooting Johanna a glare. She rolled her eyes and then Captain Beckett almost mirrored it a second later.

"Mr. Castle," the younger Beckett said with a sigh, "I don't know who put you up to this, but I think it's time that you left my precinct."

"What?" Castle and Johanna gasped simultaneously.

"Why?" Castle asked, looking up at Kate. When he stood, he found them almost eye-to-eye. "But why? I'm not…I'm not making this up! I can really see her!"

"That's impossible," Kate said, for the second time. "My mother is dead. Deceased. Gone from this world. I watched her get nailed into a casket and lowered into the ground over ten years ago now."

"Her body, but not her spirit," Castle argued.

"Her spirit?" Kate asked with a snort, raising one eyebrow at him. "This isn't one of your books, you know; ghosts don't exist in the real world." She grabbed a bunch of files from the 'in' box at the corner of her desk and made her way to one of the filing cabinets in the corner, opening the top draw and flicking through them, though she made no move to actually place any of the files inside.

"Yes they do," Castle insisted, following her. Johanna floated after him, tutting as she shook her head.

"My little Katie," she sighed. "Always the skeptic; just like her father. You know she stopped believing in Santa Claus when she was three?"

"Seriously?" Castle asked, then turned to Kate, who was staring back at him like he was a lunatic. "Seriously?"

"Seriously _what_?" Kate snapped.

"You stopped believing in Santa when you were three?" Castle asked her, furrowing his brow in concern. His heart would break if his three-year-old didn't believe in Santa. Hell, his heart would break if his currently _nine_ -year-old didn't believe in Santa.

Kate gaped at him, her eyes wide and her lips parted in confusion. "How…how did you know that?" she asked.

"Your mother told me," Castle said.

"That's…" Kate shook her head. "She didn't know that."

"Oh, yes I did," Johanna chuckled. "Every single year, I had to hype _her_ up to see the Santa at the mall and I know a forced smile when I see one. You weren't foolin' anybody, Katie."

Castle snorted. "She says she knew all along," he informed Kate. "That she knew you were faking it whenever you went to go see Santa at the mall. Your mother is very astute; probably why you're such a good detective."

"I'm a good detective because I work hard," Kate huffed. "I listen to logic and reason and I follow the evidence where it leads."

"And where is the evidence leading you now?" Castle asked.

Kate stared at him for a long moment, her lips pressed together. "I…ghosts don't exist, Mr. Castle," she said, with a sense of finality in her voice. "I know that for a fact."

"Do you though?" Castle challenged. "Then how did I know about the Santa Claus thing? Or about how you refused to use a nightlight when you were little, even though you were terrified of the dark?" He said the words as Johanna whispered them in his ear and watched at Kate stiffened, inhaling sharply as she stared into his eyes.

Then, suddenly, she shook her head and scowled at him. "My father obviously put you up to this," she said. "He's always pulling pranks."

"That's true," Johanna agreed. "They used to have these 'prank wars' that lasted weeks at a time. I couldn't safely walk into any room in the house without looking for tripwires or buckets of water—or worse—that might fall on my head." She frowned. "But Jim wouldn't do something like this; it's too far."

"Your father didn't put me up to this," Castle insisted. "I swear. Okay? I can really see your mother. She's standing right next to me, looking at you like…like you're the most important person in her li— _world_. She came to me because she has something to tell you, but you can't hear or see her so she has to do it through me. And I know it's hard to believe and I know that you're skeptical about it, but if you just listen—"

"No," Kate said, dropping the files into the drawer and closing it with a sense of finality. "This is crazy and I truly think you need help, Mr. Castle. Now, please, get out of my precinct before I have you arrested for harassment."

"Harassment?" Castle spluttered. "But I just—"

"Leave," Kate ordered, her voice low but the warning in her eyes had Castle's lips clamping shut.

He sighed and nodded. "Fine," he said, looking sideways at Johanna, whose eyes were scanning her daughter's face, as if taking in everything before she said goodbye for god knows how much longer. "Let's go," he whispered, his voice full of condolence.

"Wait," Johanna said, stopping him as he started for the door. Castle turned to her with an expectant look. "The elephants," she said, by way of explanation.

"Elephants?" he echoed.

"Elephants?" Kate asked, after him. "What about elephants?"

Castle turned to her as she returned to her desk and, for the first time, he saw a trail of elephants at the edge of her desk, connected trunk to tail in a tiny parade. They were ceramic and quite beautiful; a good decoration. But other than that, he could see nothing extraordinary about them. Completely unlike the woman herself.

"Tell her to look inside the elephants," Johanna said. Castle furrowed his brow.

"Mr. Castle!" He turned to Kate; she was frowning at him, hands on her hips. "What about elephants?"

"Um…l-look inside," he said.

"What?"

"Look inside the elephants," Castle repeated.

"Why?" Kate asked.

"I have no idea. She just said to look in the elephants." Kate still had a skeptic look on her face, so he sighed and said, "Look, I know you don't believe in this stuff, but this is very important to her, okay? Just…open the elephants."

With that, he left, the ghost of Johanna Beckett trailing after him. Before she disappeared out the door, however, she made her way back to her daughter and gazed at her for a long moment. Kate watched the door for a moment longer before looking down at the work on her desk, but she still didn't notice the spirit in the room.

"I'm so proud of you," Johanna said, leaning down to press a kiss to Kate's forehead. The younger woman shivered and looked up, blinking as she stared all around the empty room. She pulled her suit jacket more tightly around her, frowning as she shook off the strange chill that had just run up her spine.

Johanna sighed, spared her daughter one last, forlorn look, and then turned, following Castle out of the building.

 **This isn't going to be some long piece about them solving her mother's case, btw. Short(ish) and fluffy. I hope you liked this chapter and I hope it was worth the wait.**


	4. Chapter 4

**This is my last night to finish this for the bash and it will probably miss it by a couple of hours because it's Halloween and I'm watching the Daily Show at the very same time (ADHD is so much fun, guys) also my laptop keyboard keeps skipping space even after I hit it three times sometimes so there's bound to be a lot of made up words and contractions, but nobody's perfect. Anyway, let me finish this here A/N novel and let y'all get to your ghastly fluff. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter Four**

Castle read about everything in the morning paper nearly a week later. About the voices on the tape and the incarceration of Senator Bracken, along with several other high-ranking government officials and career politicians. There were several televised interviews with the 'Hero Police Captain' and Castle was in awe of how composed she was in front of the camera. She spoke with authority and grace like he'd never seen before. Glancing to the side, he could see tears shining in Johanna Beckett's eyes as she watched her daughter with pride.

It took another week for the knock to come on his door and Castle was in the middle of cooking dinner when he answered, wiping his hands on the towel slung over his shoulder. His hands froze as he saw the person standing on the other side of the door. "Hi."

"Hi," the woman who looked uncannily like Captain Kate Beckett replied, meeting his eyes for only a moment before lowering them back down to the ground, where they seemed to be studying her feet. She was tinier than he remembered, but that may have been because her feet lacked the added height of four-inch heels. Instead, they were encased in red Converse high tops and her curves were hidden by a baggy NYU hoodie that hung down to practically her knees, over a pair of dark ripped jeans. Her hair hung in messy curls around her shoulders and her face was mostly devoid of makeup. Her eyes were red-rimmed, as if she'd been crying, and her bottom lip, he couldn't help but notice, had teeth indentations, as if she'd been chewing on it.

"Daddy, manners!" Alexis called from several feet behind him and Castle jumped, glancing at her over his shoulder. She was standing, with a wide-eyed Johanna, between the kitchen and family room. She gave him _that look_ and he chuckled, turning back to Kate.

"Right," he said. "Would you, uh, like to come in, Captain?"

"Oh, I, um, if you busy, I can just…"

"Don't be ridiculous!" his mother exclaimed, popping her head out of the kitchen, making the cop visibly jump in surprise. "Come right in! We've plenty to spare."

Castle chuckled and turned back to Kate with a bright smile. "It's true," he said, stepping to the side. "We have more than enough to go around and you look like you could use a good meal after the week you've had."

"Oh, you saw that, huh?" Kate snorted, looking back down at the floor.

"It was kind of hard to miss," Castle said. "Come on." He motioned her in with his head and Kate reluctantly took a few steps into the loft, her eyes widening as she looked around the enormous apartment.

"Whoa," she said. "Nice place."

"Thank you, Captain," Castle replied with a grin.

"You can just call me, Kate, Mr. Castle," she told him, softly.

"Kate," he echoed, testing it on his tongue. "Would you like a glass of wine?"

"Um, not right now," she said. "Actually, could we talk for a second? In private." She offered a kind smile to Alexis, who was looking up at her curiously. "Hello," she said, somewhat awkwardly.

Alexis gave her a small smile and then looked up at Johanna. "Is that your daughter?" she asked the ghost. Johanna nodded, giving her a big, watery smile.

"Isn't she beautiful?" she sniffled, reaching out to push a stray lock of honey-brown hair behind Kate's ear and frowning when her fingers passed right through. Kate shivered slightly and furrowed her eyebrows at Alexis.

"You can…you can see her, too?" she asked, her voice quiet and unbelieving. She glanced up to where Alexis had been staring just a moment ago, but she could not see her mother's face, even as she stared directly into her eyes. "Is she here?"

"Yes," Castle told her. "She's here. I take it you're a believer now?"

Kate took a deep breath and nodded. "It's hard not to be," she admitted with a small laugh. Castle matched her smile and nodded his head toward his office.

"Follow me," he said. "We should talk." He and Kate started toward the office and he could feel Johanna trailing after them, so he turned back to her. "Alone, if you don't mind." Johanna frowned at him, glancing at Kate, whose eyes moved around the room, as if looking for her.

Realizing that there was no way for her to see her mother, Kate sighed and nodded. "It's okay, Mom," she said. "We'll be right back." Johanna acquiesced, stilling herself as she watched them disappear into the office, before turning back to Martha and Alexis, who were giving her bright, welcoming smiles. She smiled back and joined them in the kitchen.

In the office, Castle shut the door and made his way to his desk, motioning for Kate to take a seat in one of the soft décor chairs on the other side. She perched herself on the edge of it as her eyes continued to gaze around the room, taking everything in.

Castle's desk was littered with papers and there seemed to be some kind of clothesline running behind it, with wrinkled pieces of paper clipped to it, all covered in cramped writing and red marker. And the walls were bookshelves—literal, see-through bookshelves—with a variety of books on all different subjects and genres. She saw a few of his own on a high shelf and couldn't keep herself from smirking and rolling her eyes.

"So," she said, "this is where it happens."

"Where what happens?" Castle asked. "Me writing my books?" She nodded. "Well, for the most part. Sometimes I go to cemeteries with my laptop or notebook and talk to the spirits that hang around their grave markers. They tell me stories and let me use them in my novels."

"So your characters…they're based off of _ghosts_? Like…real ghosts?"

"I thought you fancied that an oxymoron," Castle teased and she huffed. He chuckled. "Yeah, real ghosts. Your mother is the only true murder victim, though."

"Well that makes me feel…better?"

"It should," Castle insisted. "Usually, victims only stay tethered to earth until their killers are brought to justice. Many of them never get to leave at all."

"What happens to them?"

"They wander the earth, looking for somebody who can tell their story."

"And they find _you_."

"Sometimes," Castle sighed. "But I can only give them justice in writing. It takes something real to happen, like a killer being put behind bars, for them to cross over."

"Cross over to where?" Kate asked. "Heaven?"

Castle shrugged. "I've never met a ghost that's been to the other side before. Because once you get there, there's no coming back. I'd like to think it's a nice existence, you know? Full of family and friends. Maybe you meet a deity that you've dedicated your life to. Maybe they're as wonderful as you'd been led to believe. Wouldn't that be nice?"

Kate nodded in agreement. "It would be," she said. "Does this mean that I've helped some of these spirits cross over? With what I just did? With what I do as a cop?"

Castle nodded. "I'd imagine so," he said with a soft smile. "I'd like to think I do my part as well. It's not just victims tethered to this plane."

"Telling their stories helps, as well?" Kate asked.

"That and…being their medium to their families. Telling them things that they never got the chance to."

"Such as?"

"Hidden wills or secret bank accounts, safe codes, confessions…a lot of things. Some just want to say their goodbyes, you know? So they come to me and I locate whomever they want me to." He chuckled. "Sometimes, I meet skepticism." He nodded at Kate, who flushed, hiding her grin in the neck of her hoodie. "Usually, though, I meet with believers; mourning family members who are just happy to say their farewells and get some closure. There's a lot of tears."

"I'd imagine so." Kate sighed and reached into her sweater, pulling out a ring on a chain. The jewel was small and modest, but Castle could see how much it meant to her. "This," she said, "was my mother's. Her engagement ring. My father gave it to me after she died." She took a deep, shuddering breath. "I've worn it every single day for over a decade. It used to drive me in my work, to find justice for other victims since I couldn't…since I couldn't find justice for her." She swallowed thickly, blinking back tears. "Now…now I don't really know what to do."

"Keep seeking justice," Castle offered. "For the victims. For their families. Just because you got justice for yourself, doesn't mean they shouldn't. Use that ring as a reminder of that; make sure this kind of thing never happens again—to the best of your ability." His voice was soft as he reached across the desk, placing his hand over hers on top of the desk. Kate jumped slightly, but didn't pull away.

She took a deep breath and nodded. "I know," she said. "I know that's what I'm supposed to do now, but it's…it's gonna be hard. I have the press swamping my precinct as we speak. Makes everything more difficult." She took a deep breath and pulled her hand out from under his, swiping at her eyes. "But I know it's something I have to do. I'm not about to quit my job; I just need to…adjust." Castle nodded in understanding.

"You will," he assured her. "With enough time." He offered Kate a kind smile and received one in return. It was one of the most beautiful sights he'd ever seen. Johanna was right; her daughter was gorgeous. "Now," he continued, clearing his throat, "would you like to speak with your mother?"

"I can…I can do that?" Kate asked in wonder.

He nodded. "Either through me or via a séance."

"A séance?" Kate snorted. "Those are actually a thing?"

"Of course they are," Castle chuckled. "But they usually take two or more mediums for it to work."

"Mediums?" Kate asked. "Is that what you're called?"

Castle nodded, standing up. "Me, my mother, and my daughter. It's a family trait. My grandparents worked on Coney Island, as fortune tellers."

"Have you done séances before?" Kate asked.

"Me? Never," Castle admitted. "But my mother does them a lot with a few friends of hers. I think she's been teaching Alexis behind my back, so maybe they can show me a little something." He smiled as her as he rounded the desk and helped her to her feet, hooking her arm in his as he led her back out into the main room.

Martha and Alexis were spooning the food into bowls and onto platters, setting them up on the counter.

"There you are, darlings!" Martha exclaimed, smiling knowingly at their linked elbows. "Dinner is ready."

"We can see that, Mother," Castle replied. "But I was wondering if you'd be up for a séance today."

"A séance? Really? Oh, I've been trying to get you to do one of those for years!" Martha clapped her hands in excitement. "Let me just go grab the candles. You can take a seat around the table, dear. Alexis will show you where to sit."

"I knew it," Castle whispered, making Kate snort and shake her head as the little girl grabbed her free hand and tugged her toward the table, sitting her down on one side of the head of the table.

"You stay there," she said, then turned to the empty space behind her. "Jojo, you sit across from Kate."

"Jojo?" Kate asked, with a tiny grin. "Is that what she told you to call her?" Alexis nodded with a bright smile. "That's what my friends used to call her."

"So that means we're friends?" Alexis asked her, turning a bit shy.

Kate smiled down at her and nodded. "I suppose," she replied.

Alexis's smile widened as she turned back to her father. "Okay, Daddy," she said. "You sit next to Kate and I'll sit next to Jojo."

Castle nodded and took his seat just as Martha walked out with the candles and a small red kerchief. She laid it down and placed the candles in the center of the table, atop it, in a triangle. She turned to Kate. "Do you have anything that once belonged to the deceased?" she asked. "It could make the connection stronger."

Kate nodded, pulling her necklace over her head and handing it over. "Nothing's going to happen to it, right?" she asked.

"It'll be fine, dear," Martha assured her. "It's just a token." She took the necklace and laid it down in the center of the triangular candles, then lit each of them. "Now, let us begin." She took her seat at the head of the table. "Everybody, join hands." She reached for Kate's and wrapped her thin, warm fingers around the younger woman's, shooting her a smile. Kate felt herself relax a little more—especially when she felt Castle's fingers interlock with hers on the opposite hand. They shared another smile as he reached across the table for his daughter's tinier hand. Kate watched as both Alexis and Martha seemed to reach and hold empty air. She visualized her mother sitting there, smiling at her, eyes shining with happiness and pride.

It took her a long moment to realize that it was not in her imagination and she immediately felt her eyes flood with tears. "M-mom?" she gasped, loosening her grip on Martha's hand in shock. Martha caught her before she could pull it away.

"If we break the circuit," she warned, "you won't be able to see her again."

Kate nodded in understanding. "Okay," she sniffled, then turned back to her mother. "Hi." There was a lump in her throat.

"Hey, Katie bug," Johanna greeted, tears in her own eyes. "My baby. My, how you've grown."

"I've missed you," Kate told her. "So much, Mom. So…so much."

"I know, baby," Johanna sighed. "I know. But I'm right here. I've always been right…right here. And I'm so, so proud of you."

More tears fell from Kate's eyes. "I wish…I wish I could hug you," she admitted. "I wish I could see you like…like _they_ can." She glanced around at Castle, Alexis, and Martha.

"I know," Johanna said with a sigh. "I know, baby, but I…it's so nice to see you now. To say goodbye."

"Goodbye?" Kate asked, furrowing her brows. "What do you mean?"

"I'm crossing to the other side soon," Johanna informed her. "To beyond. Mr. Castle tells me that's what spirits do when they're ready. And I'm ready now. I just…I wanted to see you one last time and tell you that I love you and I'm proud of you and I just…I want you to know that all I want is for you to be happy. Are you happy?"

Kate nodded, more tears falling down her cheeks. "Yes," she said, swallowing thickly. "Yes, I'm happy." She squeezed Castle's hand and he smiled over at her. "Thank you," she mouthed and he squeezed back.

Johanna gave the pair a knowing smile. "In the meantime," she said. "You should let Mr. Castle here take you out for a nice dinner."

Kate's face bloomed bright red as she turned back to her mother with wide eyes. "Mom!"

"What?" Johanna asked. "He's handsome and his family is nice. I want that for you."

Kate rolled her eyes and placed her head down on the table, careful not to unlink her hands from the others. "Nearly fifteen years later and you haven't changed one bit," she groaned. Johanna chuckled and took a deep breath, gazing lovingly at her daughter.

"I love you, Katie bug," she said.

Kate raised her head and watched as her mother's form began to flicker. She felt tears well up in her eyes again. "I love you, too, Mom."

"Take care of your father," Johanna told her as she began to dissipate. There was a glow emanating from her disappearing form. "Make sure he does well and tell him that I'll be waiting, alright? Tell him that I love him." Kate nodded.

"I will," she promised. "I'll tell him."

"Goodbye, Katie," Johanna said as she disappeared completely.

"Bye," Kate replied, letting go of Martha's hand to give a pathetic wave at the empty space across from her. She took a deep breath and turned to Castle. "Is she gone?" she asked. He nodded and she sighed, swiping at her eyes. He squeezed her hand and she offered him a wide smile, leaning into him until her cheek lay on his shoulder.

Taking her cue, Martha stood and blew out the candles, before gathering up all the other items and shuffling towards the kitchen with Alexis in tow as Castle wrapped his arms around Kate's shoulders, pulling her further against his chest. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and felt her sigh against his neck.

"Thank you," she said, softly, after a long moment. She pulled away to look him in the eyes. "Thank you for everything." They shared eye contact for a long moment, before Martha entered, breaking the silence as she placed the bowl of freshly made pasta on the table.

"Dinner," she said, with a wide grin and a mischievous glint in her eyes, "is served."

Castle sighed and pulled away, straightening up as his mother placed a fresh dinner plate in front of him, then one in front of Kate, before also handing her the necklace, wrapping her hand around Kate's hand and squeezing comfortingly. Kate smiled back at her and placed the necklace back around her neck.

"This doesn't count, does it?" she asked Castle as Alexis and Martha continued to fuss in the kitchen.

"Count as what?" he asked, turning to look down at her, one eyebrow raised.

"The meal my mother suggested you buy me." She bit her lip as her cheeks turned pink.

Castle grinned. "That's up to you, Kate," he said, with a wink.

Kate swallowed thickly and smiled bashfully, just as Martha and Alexis returned with the rest of the food, placing it down on the table, along with a bottle of wine and glasses. Martha smiled at them as she uncorked it and poured two, then handed them to Kate and Castle. "Cheers," she said, pouring her own.

Castle turned to Kate and clinked glasses with her next. "Cheers," he echoed. Kate just smiled and clinked hers back, something flashing in her eyes that Castle couldn't quite name.

But it gave him hope.

 **This is pretty late, but I hope y'all enjoyed it. Happy Halloween and Feliz El Dia de los Muertos to all those who celebrate.**


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